I’m about to start my freshman year of college, and after fighting hard, I secured a full-tuition scholarship from my school. But my parents think there’s still plenty of scholarship money out there to be won, and I’m not sure where to find it. I’ve applied for tons of essay-based scholarships but haven’t had any luck. I don’t want to waste my time, but I also want to avoid going into debt.
Background info: I’m an elementary education major and a minority living in Illinois. If you have any scholarship suggestions, I’d appreciate it!
I’m assuming you’ve already graduated high school, so I’m not sure if you still qualify for many local scholarships, but definitely give those a try. Most of the scholarships I won were local ones recommended by my guidance counselors.
Also, scholarships with more specific eligibility requirements might be more “winnable” since fewer people qualify. While I haven’t personally won anything from Bold.org, I’ve found some scholarships on there that are super specific—by race, geography, major, etc. I also like that they have a filter for scholarships with fewer applicants, but I’m not sure how accurate that is. Bold.org scholarships are usually small, but every bit helps.
Since you’re already in college, try focusing on professional organizations that offer scholarships. Memberships are usually very affordable for students, and they often provide scholarships exclusively for members. This reduces your competition significantly, and many of these organizations also offer career guidance as part of the membership.
If you met the early deadline, the college should have offered you something. Regardless, most colleges have scholarships available throughout the year, along with contests held by various departments. Keep applying throughout the year and check out any undergraduate resource centers for additional opportunities.
Looking for future educator or teacher scholarships? How about minority or specific race/identity scholarships? You can find scholarships for almost anything nowadays. I once heard a motivational speaker say, “You can even find plus-size scholarships.” At first, I wasn’t sure if that was true, but I looked it up, and it turns out there really are scholarships for plus-sized people. It might not feel great, but it’s true—we just have to search for them.